Congratulations on CPD success to Jo and Nirvana!

After what they describe as a whirlwind few months, Jo and Nirvana have successfully completed the Chartered Institute of Public Relations continuous development scheme, or, CIPR CPD scheme as it is better known, and achieved 60 CPD points each! With technology innovations impacting the business world, PR and Marketing is constantly evolving as a service. Therefore, it is vitally important that we keep up to date with new thinking and best practice, so that we consistently deliver the best service to our clients. It is also really important to us all personally that we expand our knowledge and stay curious.

However, this is challenging. The CPD scheme involves a commitment to hours of learning on top of serving our clients and it was quite right that we celebrated Jo and Nirvana’s success and the efforts they had put into this.

We have been reflecting on the importance of the CIPR, and this learning scheme. CPD provides us with the opportunity to constantly learn, develop, achieve new skill-sets and to effectively put theory into practice.

I asked Jo and Nirvana why they took part in continuous development and what they gained from it…

Nirvana says,

Never Stop Learning

We believe that it is vital to ‘never stop learning’ and, especially in PR and marketing, the landscape is forever changing and evolving. Whether it’s the latest social media updates, the emergence of digital marketing or the sudden rise of bloggers and influencers; there are always new developments, changes in legislation that impacts advertising protocol and best practice to perfect.

Jo talks about,

Empowering Employees 

Having an outlet such as the CIPR, CIM or any other governing body with webinars, recommended readings and workshops, with the flexibility to learn at your own pace, and refer back to a topic or aspect, is beneficial in so many ways. It certainly helps boost staff moral as they feel empowered to learn, and it pushes them to be the best version of themselves, in an environment that nurtures and promotes continual learning and development.

Learn, Do, Review: Theory into Practice

Newest team member to brookscomm Nirvana also comments, “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to be a member of the CIPR. I strive to be on top of PR and marketing trends and to have the ongoing educational support of CIPR, along with a strategic and forward-thinking manager and mentor to help with guidance and provide useful advice, is so refreshing. I learn best utilising a variety of approaches so I find the various methods of online learning, reading and then being able to construct, receive feedback on and then distribute press releases, for example, is incredibly useful.”

Joining the team last summer, Jo has found the combination of a manager who believes in investing in their people, together with the accessibility of the CIPR CPD programme, to be a great platform for development.  Jo says she learns best when supported and encouraged, and given the right tools and environment, results in knowledge gained being converted into useful practice.

I myself am a huge supporter of continuous learning and development. I have completed 12 years of the CPD scheme. It helped me achieve my PR and my Internal Communications Diplomas and gave me the confidence to become a Chartered Practitioner. The development of our team has always been an integral part of meeting our clients evolving needs over the years and ultimately to running a successful business. The learning and development of current and previous team members have significantly contributed to our 21 years of success. We are lucky to be part of the CIPR and to have access to the CPD scheme which makes this vital learning more varied and more accessible to all. So – be curious! – And as Nirvana says – never stop learning!

You can read my thoughts on CPD in the CIPR interview here.

Mandy